The present invention relates to a connector device provided in an apparatus into/from which an IC card is inserted/removed, and more particularly, to an ejection mechanism to eject the IC card in inserted status.
Generally, a connector device for IC cards is schematically constructed with a pin header, having a number of pin contacts to be connected to socket contacts of an IC card, arrayed in a pin housing, a frame to guide the IC card when it is inserted/removed, an ejection mechanism to remove the IC card in inserted status from the pin contacts, and the like. Further, a connector device where the pin housing and the frame are integrated is known.
Conventionally, widely employed is a connector device where the ejection mechanism comprises a push rod held by the frame so as to reciprocate movably along an IC-card insertion/removal direction, and an eject lever rotatably supported by the frame or pin housing, and one end of the eject lever engages with the push rod. In the connector device having this ejection mechanism, if the push rod is pressed when an IC card is inserted, a claw of the eject lever which rotates being interlocked with the push rod presses the IC card forward. Accordingly, the IC card can be easily pulled out with fingers. However, as the push rod is projected forward when the IC card is inserted, the push rod may be operated by mistake or it may receive some shock, and thus the IC card may be unexpectedly ejected. In that case, connection with the IC card is broken and a trouble such as deletion of operation data occurs.
On the other hand, a connector device disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Utility-Model Application No. Hei 6-13072 comprises first and second transmission levers to link a push rod with a slide plate, a third transmission lever, pivotally supported by the first transmission lever and engaged/disengaged with the second transmission lever, and a heart-shaped cam mechanism to lock the push rod in a predetermined approach position and a projected position, so as to selectively transmit a pushing force with respect to the push rod to the slide plate in accordance with the amount of projection of the push rod. That is, when an IC card is inserted, the third transmission lever does not engage with the second transmission lever, and the push rod is in the approach position, being pushed by a predetermined amount. If the push rod is projected to the projected position by the heart-shaped cam mechanism and then further pulled forward, the third transmission lever engages with the second transmission lever in the position. In this status, if the push rod is pushed toward the approach position, the pushing force is transmitted via the respective transmission levers to the slide plate, then the slide plate presses the IC card forward, and ejects the IC card. Accordingly, when the IC card is connected, the push rod is locked in the approach position not projected forward, and only when the IC card is ejected, the push rod is projected forward. This construction prevents a fault of IC-card connection breakage resulting from erroneous operation of the push rod or the like.
In this manner, according to the connector device disclosed in the above published application, as the push rod can be locked in the predetermined approach position when the IC card is connected, the danger of erroneous operation of the push rod or application of shock to the push rod can be considerably reduced and the fault of IC-card connection breakage can be prevented. However, as the pushing force with respect to the push rod is selectively transmitted to the slide plate in accordance with the attitudes of the linked three transmission levers, the transmission mechanism is very complicated, and assembling operability is lowered.